Do you have an aching neck, heavy legs, and overstrained eyes? You may not realise it, but this is often due to having a poorly arranged work space; perhaps your desk is at the wrong height, you sit too close to the computer or everything on your desk is placed too far out of reach. So, how your office can be transformed into an ergonomic paradise? Part 1: Sit properly!

During “office life,” office workers spend around 80,000 hours in the office and 85% of this time is spent sitting – usually in a motionless and health damaging position. Frequent after-effects include back pain and tension. It is a well-known fact that sitting for too long is unhealthy, with many campaigns carrying the warning that “Sitting is killing you!” to raise further awareness. Standing desks have been introduced, but if this form of working is too uncomfortable or unusual for you, then there are three tips below which should help you look after your body as you sit.

1) Stay Dynamic.

Vary your posture during the day by changing the way you sit at least 2-3 times per hour. You could, for example, lean forward or back, sit straight or lean back in your seat – such positions will even out muscular imbalances and relieve your back.

(Windows users have the ability to create reminders with the Task Scheduler)

2) Choose the Right Chair.

As you possibly spend most of your “office life” in a chair, it is wise you pick the correct one. An ideal ergonomic formed chair has arm rests, a back rests and does not roll around too easily.

3) An Angle of 90 Degrees is Optimal.

In order to guarantee good blood circulation through your legs, you should choose a seating height which ensures your feet touch the ground and that your upper legs are not squished up tightly. Your upper and lower legs should ideally be at a 90 degree angle to each other.